


Transition

by Marorin5



Series: Everlong [1]
Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Before Class 3-E, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Genderbending, Nagisa is a girl, Starts during their first year, Teen Crush, Teen Romance, Teenagers, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, fem!Nagisa, junior high school
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2018-03-30
Packaged: 2018-10-14 03:26:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10527855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marorin5/pseuds/Marorin5
Summary: In Junior High, friendships are made, feelings are developed, and relationships bloom as they all try to figure out who they are and what they want to be.Requested by Shiranai Atsune.





	1. Asano Gakushuu, Akabane Karma & Isogai Yuuma

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! So I received a request by Shiranai Atsune to write a Karma x fem!Nagisa story. Well, I was asked for either Karma x fem!Nagisa or Gakushuu x fem!Nagisa, but I ship Karma and Nagisa more (this damn fandom dragged me down, I swear; I'm big on Karmanami but now I'm into Karmagisa too!). Gakushuu is gonna play a role too, though… because I'm evil and I have a thing for writing unrequited love. I don't know. I think I'm pretty decent doing it. I'm sorry. XD 
> 
> Anyway, characters such as Isogai, Maehara, Ren, and Aguri were mentioned as well, so I took the whole Karma x fem/Nagisa w/thirdwheel!Gakushuu (kind of) and added those characters too… this was born. XD 
> 
> This was supposed to be a one-shot, but it's become clear to me that 1. it is turning out to be way longer than first planned (as always XD) and 2. I wouldn't be updating anytime soon if I kept it as a one-shot. 
> 
> So now this is a multi-chapter story, with short chapters (around 1000 words each). And it starts during the second term mid-terms of their first year of Junior High. 
> 
> This is also posted over at FF.net!
> 
> Now, without further ado, go on and read! Hope you enjoy! :)

Asano Gakushuu's eyes scan over the names written on the Top 50 list. It's no surprise that he's first. They might be in their second semester of their first year, but it's become clear that he's the number one of their year. His name is followed by Sakakibara Ren, but that is not a surprise either. He's also one of the chosen, and that's for a reason. It is not surprising that he made it to second place. He notices the names of Araki Teppei and Koyama Natsuhiko; seems like they've made it into the Top 5 again. They are clearly chosen ones as well. Perhaps he should talk to them more.

Gakushuu's eyes land on the fifth name of the list. _Akabane Karma._ It's surprising that a guy from D Class has managed to make it into the Top 10, not once, not twice, but _three_ times. He doesn't know much of Akabane. Sure, he has seen him. Red hair, mercury eyes, always had this delinquent, lazy posture. Apparently, he skips whenever he feels like it and was an all-around troublemaker. However, it seems that he's smart enough to do well on his tests.

"What're you reading, Asano-kun?" Ren walks up behind him and leans over his shoulder to read the paper he's holding. Out of all students at this school, Ren is the closest thing he has to a friend, Gakushuu guesses. Or something along those lines. What he likes about Ren is that he doesn't have to fake around him; he can show his darker, manipulative side and yet Ren keeps talking to him. It's a weird dynamic, indeed, but it's how they work. "Oh, the Top 50 list, eh? Not surprising that we're in the top 2. Oh, look, Akabane-kun's fifth now. Wasn't he, like, tenth during the end of term?"

"Eigth," Gakushuu corrects.

"Eight. Yeah, well, it's surprising he's doing so well, considering what I've heard about him," Ren shrugs. "I mean, they say he always gets into fights and pretty much everyone is afraid of him because of that. He's lucky he's got good grades or else he'd be in trouble."

Gakushuu nods. In this school, grades are everything. As long as Akabane keeps his grades as they are, his behavior will probably be overlooked. It's annoying, but that's how things work.

"Although I guess not _everyone_ is afraid of him. He's always hanging around with this blue-haired girl. Her eyes are like calm oceans and her hair is as blue as the sky."

Gakushuu raises an eyebrow. "It sounds like you're smitten to me," he says lightly. Ren is a flirt. He'd compliment every single girl with poetic lines if he could.

"Well, she is pretty cute," he laughs. "I've mostly seen her hanging around boys, though. Only rarely have I seen her talking to girls."

"So, a tomboy, then?"

"I don't know. She seems girly enough." Ren shrugs. "Although I can't say I know her, so I wouldn't know for sure."

"No, you wouldn't." For some reason, Gakushuu feels interested in this girl Ren has told him about. He's not sure why exactly, although he rationalizes that it's probably curiosity to see just what kind of girl would put up with someone as troublesome as Akabane.

* * *

"You're in fifth place, Karma-kun! That's amazing!"

Akabane Karma turns to look at the girl he considers his closest friend. Even though they are different, they get along really well and have similar hobbies. (In fact, the reason they are friends in the first place is that he invited her to go watch Sonic Ninja with him last semester. While he's a fan of the director, she's a fan of the franchise and has read the comics. She's even lend him some; he has to admit, they're actually pretty good.) She's the one person he can be himself around; Nagisa doesn't judge him because of his mischievous, kind of sadistic personality. She's not afraid of him, and he knows she's someone he can let his guard down with.

"Eh," he shrugs. "Well, I guess. Wasn't that hard for me, anyway."

"Easy for you to say," Nagisa sighs, showing him her test scores. "I didn't even make it into the top 50." He feels kind of bad about saying the test was easy for him (even though it is the truth) when she clearly struggled with it, but then she smiles at him. "Well, I guess you have a talent different from mine, huh?"

"Well, you have a lot of talent, too," he smiles at her. "I've never met someone as observant as you. If there was a test about that, you'd ace it for sure."

She laughs. "Yeah, well, I did pretty good in English. It's Science that dragged me down, again…" she sighs.

"Well, remember you can always ask me to help you, if you want," he reminds her.

"I know," she smiles at him again, and it's so genuine and happy and it warms his insides. "Never mind that though. Did you read the new Sonic Ninja chapter? Things are getting crazy now!"

* * *

"I made it into the top 50! Yes!" Isogai Yuuma cheers. He's studied really hard to do well on the midterm. It is awesome to see it's paid off!

"That's awesome for you, Yuuma," Hiroto laughs, showing him his test scores. "I barely even passed."

"That's because you rather date than study, Hiroto," Yuuma sweatdrops, smiling a little. Hiroto is actually smart—if he wasn't, he wouldn't be in this school—but he doesn't bother to study and as a result doesn't get really good grades. That is bad. Yuuma knows it's only the first year, but he's a little worried that Hiroto will end up in Class 3-E if he doesn't get a habit for studying. (It's not like he'll stop being Hiroto's friend if he ends up in Class E, of course not; but everyone else probably would.) "If you actually bothered to study—"

"I'd do better on my exams, yeah, yeah, I know," he laughs, wrapping an arm around Yuuma's shoulders. "I'm not an Ikemen like you, Yuuma, so it's not that easy for me! Oh, and I gotta tell you about this new date I got!"

Yuuma shakes his head and sighs, but there's a smile in his face as he listens to his best friend talk about this girl he met a couple of weeks ago. Hiroto doesn't seem to care about the possibility of ending up in the E Class for their third year, but then again, he _is_ a live-in-the-moment kind of guy.


	2. Asano Gakushuu & Shiota Nagisa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Taking a break to update with this second chapter! :) We have more Gakushuu time in this chapter, as well as Nagisa & Karma. Yuuma, Hiroto and Ren will have their spotlight in the next chapter. :P 
> 
> Also, that extra information we have on the characters thanks to Roll Book Time and Graduation Album Time is hilarious and it's really fun to dig around trying to find out more about all the characters. (Gakushuu is worried because early baldness seems to run in his mother's family and the secret side of Karma's character made me legit laugh out loud.) XD
> 
> Okay, random comment aside, hope you enjoy!

It's only two days after reading the Top 50 list later when Gakushuu sees Akabane with the girl Ren told him about. He recognizes her as Shiota Nagisa, another student of D Class. She has average grades, so she's not someone noteworthy when it comes to academics. He's seen her before, and she has always seemed gentle, nice and friendly. No-one really dislikes her. So it's a bit of a surprise when he sees a girl as calm as her talking to a boy as wild as Akabane. They seem to get along well, though. He overhears a bit of their conversation as he walks through the hallway; they're talking about some fighting video game that is going to come out, and they both seem pretty hyped for it.

"I'm gonna buy it as soon as it comes out, so maybe you could come over to my place so we can play it, Nagisa-chan," Akabane's saying as he walks past them. He's leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets, a posture that annoys Gakushuu, but he doesn't let it show.

"Really?! That's awesome! Thanks, Karma-kun!" Shiota sounds so excited about that. "I would like to have it myself, but there's no way my mom would let…"

Her voice fades into the distance until Gakushuu can't hear it anymore. For some reason, seeing the two together has kind of struck to Gakushuu. They're so different, and yet they seem to like similar things and they seem to get along really well. They're even on first name basis! The only person Gakushuu ever calls by first name is Ren, and even _he_ refers to Gakushuu by last name.

Akabane and Shiota haven't dropped the honorifics, though, so they're probably not dating… _Wait._ Why should _he_ care if they're dating or not? It's nothing important; he should not bother wasting time on wondering about what Akabane and Shiota's relationship is.

* * *

For some reason, however, after that time, he sees Akabane and Shiota _everywhere_. It's really bothersome, and he's starting to get a bit paranoid, even though he _knows_ there is no way Akabane and Shiota even know what's going inside his head. It's annoying, though. No matter what he's doing, he somehow always catches a glimpse of them.

Buying drinks of the vending machine, studying together, walking together and talking about whatever comes to mind. Sometimes he sees them hanging around with other boys. There was this time he saw them hanging out with Sugino Tomohito, Maehara Hiroto, Isogai Yuuma and Mimura Kouki. (Gakushuu is not sure how that group came to be, but he doesn't particularly care.) Ren is right; Shiota rarely is seen hanging around girls for some reason. She sticks to the boys, and they accept her.

He doesn't know why it bothers him. It's not like he knows Shiota, or Akabane for that matter. It's not like he cares to.

How annoying.

* * *

"It wasn't so bad to hang out with other people, see?" Shiota Nagisa smiles at the boy sitting across from her. She doesn't have any club activities today, so she and Karma came to a café together after school.

A couple of months ago, she wouldn't have believed she'd be friends with Akabane Karma. She always kind of admired Karma; his laid back, cool attitude, how he's smart and tough and does whatever he wants. But she never thought he'd look her way ever, so she just hanged out with classmates she got along with and admired him from afar.

It was a complete shock to her when he invited her to watch Sonic Ninja with him. She honestly didn't expect him to acknowledge her. And unlike most people, she wasn't afraid of the rumors surrounding Karma; about him getting into fights and beating up people. After that movie, the two of them have become close friends, and she's really happy about that.

She's still not afraid of Karma. Even though the rumors about him fighting turned out to be true (she's lost count on how many times Karma's gotten into a fight and she just stands there waiting for him to finish beating people up. She doesn't mind; it doesn't bother her like it would most people, and maybe that's one of the reasons she can be friends with Karma in the first place). And he's more open with her than he is with anyone else. She's glad.

Karma is the person she can be herself with. Her mother wants her to be as 'girly' as it can get; care about fashion, wear high heels, go shopping, use make-up, try on different hairstyles. While Nagisa doesn't see a problem with other girls liking fashion and make-up and whatever, it's not something _she_ likes. Unfortunately, her interests are considered too 'boyish' by her mother, who has shouted numerous times during her rages that Nagisa may as well be a boy considering how she acts.

(Nagisa disagrees; just because she's not as interested in fashion and romance and being a wife as her mother is, and the fact she gets along better with boys, doesn't make her less of a girl, but she knows better than to argue back.) With Karma, there's no such thing as 'too girly' or 'too boyish'. She's just Nagisa, and he's just Karma.

She appreciates having a friend like this a lot. She hasn't told Karma about her mother, so he probably has no idea just how much he helps her.

"I dunno, Nagisa-chan. It's pretty stressful, isn'it it~" Karma takes a sip from his strawberry milkshake. "I mean, they're obviously scared of me because of my reputation, so I have to tone it down a little to not freak them out more since they're your friends and it's no fun~"

Nagisa giggles. It _is_ true that it's because of her that they ended up hanging out with Sugino, Maehara, Isogai and Mimura earlier today. See, she met Sugino two weeks ago, when they were both assigned to work on the school's greenhouse. Sugino's in the baseball club, and he is really friendly, so it's easy for him to make friends. He's friends with Maehara, who is in the same class and is friends with Isogai and Mimura, and when Sugino invited her to join, she brought Karma along.

At first, they seemed a little uneasy about Karma being there because of his reputation (except Isogai, because he is an Ikemen), but they seem to like him more now. Nagisa's glad. She knows just how hard it is for Karma to open up to people and despite all of his charisma, while he can perfectly have conversations with people, it's a bit hard for him to make real, close friends (even though he doesn't seem to particularly care; when she commented on it, he said, "But I have Nagisa-chan, and that's enough for me." Nagisa will never openly admit that she couldn't really sleep that night because of her excitement and happiness after hearing Karma say that). So, as his best friend, she thinks she should give a hand.

"I don't think they're afraid of you," she says. "At least, not as much as they were before they knew you. Rumors can be scary; you know?"

Karma shrugs. "Yeah, I guess." He sighs and gives her a small smile. It's not that devil smirk he usually has; it's a genuine smile. "But since you clearly had so much fun with them today, then I guess we could hang out with them a bit more."

Nagisa beams at him, smiling widely. She doesn't care what people think of Karma; he is the best friend she's ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you all for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you think! If you have an idea whatsoever, like a scene between these characters or other characters, feel free to tell me. If it fits into what I have planned, then I might add it. :)
> 
> Until the next update!


	3. Sakakibara Ren, Maehara Hiroto & Isogai Yuuma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Here's the third chapter! As I said before, this chapter focuses on Ren, Yuuma and Hiroto, so hope you enjoy the Chapter of the Womanizers and the Ikemen!
> 
> NOTE: I've changed a detail; I decided that the "Five Virtuosos" haven't been established yet. Simply because I read Koyama did not get his huge ego until Gakushuu encouraged him during their second year (and I wanna write about that) and because I thought Seo wouldn't've come back to Japan until around half of the second year. And we're still in their first year. 
> 
> So Seo's living in LA at the moment, and while Gakushuu recognizes Araki and Koyama's academic achievements, he hasn't really talked to them just yet. I've already edited the one scene in which the Virtuosos were mentioned, in chapter one, so it's all good. It's only Ren and Gakushuu for now. XD
> 
> Hope you like this chapter!

"She really is cute, isn't she?" Sakakibara Ren asks him one day as they are going through some notes.

Asano stops looking at the blue-haired girl that is playing football with Akabane and some other boys and turns to look at him. "Who, Shiota?"

"Well, yeah," Ren raises his eyebrows. He knows Asano is perfectly aware of who he meant. "I mean, you were totally checking her out and all that."

If it was anyone else, Asano would have changed topics (the guy is charismatic enough to pull it off), but Ren knows that Asano has a little more trust in him. (He's not sure if Asano even considers him a friend, but he does know he is the closest thing Asano has to one.) He'll let him talk to him about it. "I wasn't checking her out. I was just wondering how come she always seems to be around boys."

"Well, she seems to get along well with them," Ren shrugs, turning to look at the girl. She's not… particularly good at playing the sport, but she's motivated and they are all clearly having fun. "I guess she just feels more comfortable around boys."

"Perhaps."

Ren stares at Asano and sighs. They're only thirteen (well, _he's_ thirteen; Asano is still twelve, although he's smarter and more mature than he is, Ren will openly admit it), but Asano acts more like a grown-up sometimes. (Although, well, with a father like _that_... Ren shivers. He's a chosen one, he's sure of it, but even he was intimidated by that man and his perfection. Ren knows that Asano can't be anything other than perfect if he wants to please the Chairman.) "But, you know, Asano-kun... there's nothing wrong in liking a girl."

Asano cut his eyes at him. "I said I don't like her. I don't even know her."

"I'm not talking about Shiota-san in particular. I mean, you have a lot of girls that are in love with you. Maybe you'll like one of them. There's nothing wrong with that."

Ren knows that he and Asano are in the "Top 5 Most Attractive Guys" list that the girls (particularly a loud one, although she's pretty enough, Nakamura Rio) made. While he's not sure of the order, he overheard that he, Asano, Akabane, Isogai and Maehara were the boys selected. It's a bit of a shame (for the girls) that Asano keeps declining the girls that confess to him. (Apparently, the girls that have confessed to Isogai have been declined too. And he heard that one brave girl from C Class even confessed to Akabane, and despite the rumors about him, apparently he was nice about it, even though he declined her as well. It seems that only him and Maehara are interested in dating. What a shame, indeed.)

"I never said there is," Asano says. "But I'm only twelve, going on thirteen. I am not interested in having a relationship just yet."

Ren shrugs. He's getting a bit convinced on the idea that Asano might actually be a little interested in Shiota, but he's not gonna pry. At least not today. "Whatever you say, Asano-kun."

* * *

It's when they start their third semester when the tragedy happens.

"Hey, did you hear, about Isogai's father...?"

"Yeah... poor Isogai-kun..."

"I hope he and his family are okay... Well, as okay as they can be."

"It's such a shame."

Maehara Hiroto walks through the hallway, sighing heavily as he hears everyone commenting on Yuuma's father. He feels like crying again—Yuuma's father had been like an uncle to him—but he resists the urge. Yuuma hasn't been coming to school after his father's death, so Hiroto has decided to help him by bringing the schoolwork he's missing and keeping him company. Yuuma needs someone to support him. He's his best friend, so Hiroto is going to be there for him. It's the least he can do.

"Maehara-kun?"

Hiroto turns around to see Akabane and Shiota. They're not his closest friends, but he's hanged out with them a couple of times lately and he likes both of them. At first he was worried about Akabane because of his reputation, but he knows now that Akabane can actually be a pretty good friend once you get to know him. As for Shiota, what he likes about her is that she can blend in with the boys, and be girly at the same time. And she's pretty cute, too.

All in all, they're fun people to spend time with and they're good friends. He's glad Sugino introduced him to them. He probably wouldn't've have known them otherwise.

He gives them a small smile. "Hi, Akabane, Shiota-chan."

"Hey," Akabane seems to hesitate for a moment—just a little moment—before giving him a small smile back. Hiroto never thought he'd see the day Akabane hesitated, even if it was for a fraction of a second. He doesn't comment on it though.

"We wanted to ask about Isogai-kun," Shiota says, her eyes showing genuine worry. "We know this is a hard time for him... so..."

Hiroto nods, understanding. "He's... well, he's taken it hard, but... he's doing better."

Shiota nods. "That's good to hear." She gives a small smile. "Just... just know that if you or Isogai-kun ever need anything, you can ask us, okay?"

Hiroto looks at Shiota's genuine eyes. She's such a nice, dependable person; of course she means it. As for Akabane; he can't read him as easily as Shiota (Akabane is that more guarded) but he can tell he agrees. His eyes are serious, not with their usual mirth and mischievousness. It might not be much, but it means a lot to Hiroto to know he has friends that are willing to help them through hard times. He knows it'll mean a lot to Yuuma as well.

"Thanks, guys. That means a lot, and I'm sure it'll mean a lot to Yuuma, too."

* * *

Yuuma feels extremely glad for his friends.

His father's death is still painful for him, and it probably will be for a long time, but he's better now. He misses him dearly, but he's getting used to his absence. He's got more responsibilities now that his father's gone. His mother needs help, and he's gonna do everything he can. His siblings deserve to be happy, and he intends to do everything he can to make that possible.

Despite all the hard times, Yuuma is thankful for all the support he's gotten. Hiroto was there from day one, always giving support when he needed it, keeping him company, and giving him his space when he wanted to be alone. Same with Mimura. As for his other friends, even though they're not as close to him as Hiroto and Mimura are, they still supported him. Kataoka, a girl he knows from student council reunions they have both attended and that he's kind of friends with, and Sugino visited him once he was better to keep him company. Hiroto told him about Akabane and Shiota being worried about him and giving him their support. They're not the only ones; students he gets along with, friends he's made, either at the tennis club or his own class, have shown their support, even if it's just by asking how he's doing.

Yuuma knows they all mean it, and it warms his heart.

So when he goes back to school, he makes sure to help his friends and support them in everything. It's not enough to express the gratitude he has, but it's something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was thinking, by the time they started their third year, there were 186 students. I doubt that number varied much in their first and second year. There is no way in hell you can know everyone. Maybe their names, and maybe you can hear gossip about the most popular students. That's it. So the E Class students were probably friends with other people before, you know, transferring to the E Class. Some of them probably never even exchanged words before their third year. Which sucks, because then I have to think of names and whatever. XD 
> 
> Making Sugino and Maehara friends so that Karma and Nagisa could be at least aquatinted with Isogai and Maehara was kind of a bullshit, plot-driven move but I can totally see it happening (since Maehara and Sugino are both big on sports) so hah. XD It's not like they're that close at this point; they hang out sometimes, but they're not the closest friends ever. 
> 
> And Isogai and Kataoka were totally class reps before E Class happened. Come on, they were both known as Ikemen long before they were transferred. XD 
> 
> Most of next chapter is focused on Karma and Nagisa again, so you can look forward to that~!


	4. Akabane Karma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Dropping by here to give you all chapter 4. :) This chapter's got a Karma and Nagisa moment, so hope you like it~

"H-Here, Akabane-kun… I wanted to g-give you this. I hope you like it."

Karma sighs internally as _another_ girl gives him chocolate for Valentine's Day. It's not that he's not glad about it. He appreciates people who are nice to him, not because they're scared but because they're simply not looking to pick a fight with him. (Even though he doesn't admit to it, sometimes, it gets tiring when people only want to fight him. He's a person, too; a mischievious, troublemaker boy that's a bit of a sadist, yes, but he does have feelings.)

Seriously though, why him? It's not like any of these girls actually know him. And he's sure that there are other boys they would rather give their chocolate to. Isogai is such a good guy, such an Ikemen; Karma is sure it is _impossible_ to hate that guy. Maehara's a playboy, but he doesn't cheat (or, at least, doesn't fool girls into thinking he's completely serious) and he's good-looking as well. That Sakakibara guy that follows Asano everywhere is also a pretty big flirt and womanizer, and girls seem to like him and his dumb poetic lines. And then there's Asano himself; Karma is positive that most girls (hell, maybe even some of the boys, not that there's anything wrong with that) have a huge crush on him.

But it seems there are some girls out there that would rather give their chocolate to the honorary student bad boy pretty much everyone is afraid of.

Still, he can't bring himself to mock them or make fun of them. Even though he's not interested on dating any of those girls, he still appreciates their gifts, even if he doesn't really show it.

"Thank you," he smiles at her; tries to make it seem genuine instead of forced or mischievous.

The girl turns beet red, nods, and mumbles she has to go before turning on her heel and running away.

Jeez.

If they're gonna give him chocolate just to run away, then why did they even bother? Well, he isn't one of the most _approachable_ guys ever, he guesses—there's a reason why most of the school is afraid of him—so maybe they were worried he'd be mean or something? Well, whatever. He guesses that the fact they were brave enough to _give_ him chocolate while most people are afraid of him is good enough. And he likes chocolate. So that's a bonus.

He starts walking in the hallway until he runs into Nagisa. He smiles widely at her, but then his eyes notice the neatly-wrapped box of chocolates she has in her hands.

_Well._

Karma isn't sure how to feel about that. It's… unsettling. But why should he care if Nagisa gives chocolates to a guy? He's her best friend; he should support her! Still, he can't help the wave of protectiveness that goes through his body.

"Oh~? What's this? Nagisa-chan is gonna give chocolates to someone~!" He covers what he's really feeling with a laugh, teasing her as he always does. His mind wanders as he tries to list down the possibilities of people Nagisa might want to give chocolate to. Maybe it's Isogai? He's an Ikemen. Karma doesn't think he'd even be mad if it's him (hating that guy is impossible, it really is). Sugino? After all, he's a really friendly guy, and he gets along really well with Nagisa. It would make sense.

"Karma-kun!" Nagisa seems startled, flushing a little. Man, she looks so cute. "W-Well, it's Valentine's Day, so…" She shrugs, trailing off, and her eyes land on the box he has in his hands. "Looks like you've gotten chocolates, too, huh?"

"Yeah, well," he sighs. "I don't know why they're giving chocolates to _me_ instead of someone like Isogai-kun. I mean, they just gave me the chocolates and ran away."

"They were probably nervous," Nagisa quips. "You're not the most approachable guy ever, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." He smirks. "And what about _you_ , Nagisa-chan? Are _you_ nervous?"

"M-Me? Well," she takes a deep breath. "Maybe I'm more nervous than I should be…"

"Oh?" Well, if that's the case, then it's got to be a friend, right? Isogai, then? Or Sugino? Maybe even Maehara, but hopefully it's not him since he's such a playboy and Karma doesn't really wanna beat up one of the few people who doesn't seem to be scared shitless of him (although he would never admit it out loud) just to make sure Nagisa wouldn't get hurt. He would, though, if he has to. "How come?"

Well, whoever it is that she wants to give chocolate to, he's gonna support her. And they damn better accept her gift and be nice to her, because if they don't, he's gonna come after them and he's gonna make them sorry for—

"Because who I want to give chocolate to is you."

Karma's inner musings were completely interrupted and forever forgotten once he heard those words. It's strange to catch him off guard, but Nagisa's one of the few people that manage to do just that. "Eh?"

"Well, yeah," Nagisa blushes a little again, shifting from foot to foot. Even though she's really observant, she doesn't seem to notice she's caught him off guard; if she had, she probably would've been surprised. Her eyes are focused on the floor; she seems to be a little bit embarrassed. "I-I never thought you would wanna be my friend, and—well, I'm really... glad you're, you know, friends with me. So," her gaze goes up, her eyes locking with his, and she smiles again, genuinely and brightly and Karma has the urge to smile right back. She presents the box to him, and her cheeks redden a little bit more, but her smile's even wider and her eyes are shinning. "I wanted to give you this, as thanks."

Karma flushes a little—he will forever deny it, though—feeling flattered by her words. "Aw, Nagi-chan, you shouldn't have." He honestly hadn't expected that she would give chocolate to him, and yet this makes him that much happier than receiving chocolate from those other girls did.

"O-Of course I should've! I genuinely mean it, you know..."

"Aw~ Nagi-chan, are you confessing to me…?" he jokes.

"K-Karma-kun!" She flushes in embarrassment.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" He smiles, genuinely, and ruffles her hair affectionately. He would hug her, but they're in the middle of the school hallway and he's got a reputation to uphold. "Thanks, Nagisa-chan. I appreciate it." He means it. Receiving chocolate from Nagisa is extremely meaningful for him. It hadn't even entered his mind before, but now that it happened, he can't be gladder.

She sees his genuine smile and smiles right back. Karma will never get tired of seeing that smile. "I'm glad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The whole "Valentine's Day" thing was supposed to fit in one chapter, but then Nagisa and Karma kinda hogged the chapter all for themselves, so… part two of Valentine's Day will be next chapter. XD
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! Please leave a comment or a suggestion, if you have one. I'd appreciate it. :)
> 
> Until next chapter!


	5. Isogai Yuuma, Sakakibara Ren & Maehara Hiroto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here is the next chapter! I'm busy af, so it's just luck that I managed to write this before studies completely took over my life. XD 
> 
> So, part two of Valentine's Day. Hope you enjoy!

"Woah, Isogai-kun, just how many people gave you chocolate?!"

Yuuma laughs nervously. "Well, this is definitely way more than I expected, but I appreciate every single one of them. I'll have to make sure to return the favor in White Day…"

"Words spoken like a true Ikemen," Akabane comments lightly, making everyone standing around them laugh.

"Indeed," Sugino grins widely.

"You got a lot of chocolate too, Megu," Okano smirks, nudging Kataoka with her elbow in a friendly way.

Kataoka sighs. "Yes, I did. I don't know why though…"

"Because you're Ikemegu!" Maeda Aiko—a girl Yuuma doesn't really know that well, but is in the same class and is friends with Kataoka and Okano—laughs as she nudges Kataoka as well.

"It's only natural that both Ikemen get that huge amount of chocolate," Oshiro Takumi, a friend of Yuuma's from the tennis club lets out a laugh. "Not like you can compete with Asano though. Do you have any idea just how much chocolate that dude got?!"

"Mountains!" Okajima screeches. "Half the girls gave chocolate to him! And meanwhile, I didn't get any…"

"No sane girl would give chocolates to you," Kataoka snaps.

"Kataoka… why so cruel…"

"Uh, guys?" Shiota sweatdrops, smiling a little. She's always been a peacemaker.

"Well, if it helps, I didn't get much chocolate either," Oshiro sighs. "The only reason I even had any chocolate is that Kurahashi-san and Yada-san are nice enough to give chocolates to all the boys in my class."

"As expected from Hinano-chan and Touka-chan," Maeda notes, nodding.

"Anyway, did you get any chocolate, Akabane?" Sugino questions, turning to look at the redhead.

"Well, yeah, a couple," the redhead shrugs.

"But if you did… then… Shiota-chan!" Hiroto quickly turns his head to look at the blue-haired girl. "Who did you give chocolate to?!"

"M-Me?" Shiota seems surprised that Hiroto asked that question randomly. "I gave it to Karma-kun—"

"I knew it!" Hiroto cheers loudly, making some heads turn to see why the handsome boy seems so excited. "So does that mean you're—"

"Hiroto!" Yuuma scolds, covering his best friend's mouth. "Sorry about him," he apologizes to Shiota and Akabane. He thinks Shiota probably gave Akabane chocolate as a formality, but he can't be sure. However, he doesn't think it's his place (or Hiroto's, for that matter) to question them. But the truth is, Hiroto kind of ships them, so _of course_ he would assume there are feelings involved. Yuuma's just glad he shut Hiroto's mouth before he could embarrass Shiota and annoy Akabane.

* * *

"As expected, Asano-kun completely _obliterated_ the competition on who got more chocolate!"

"There was never a competition," Asano rolls his eyes, giving him a no-nonsense look. Ren can tell that Asano knew he'd win, though. Well, to be fair, everyone knew he would.

"Well, if there _had_ been one, you would've obliterated us all," Ren insists, grinning widely. Okay, so he didn't get nearly as much chocolate as Asano did, but he did get a lot, too. He's pretty sure he's in second place. "Even Isogai-kun didn't get as much chocolate as you did," he tells the blond, and it's actually pretty surprising to the taller boy. Ren can't say he knows Isogai well—he can't think of a time they've actually talked—but he does know that the guy is known to be the school's Number One Ikemen. Literally everyone Ren knows that has talked to Isogai have told him he's an Ikemen.

Every. Single. One.

But it seems not even the school's Number One Ikemen can compete with the school's Number One Student, Asano Gakushuu.

But since it's a school where grades are everything, it's kind of expected, really.

Asano shrugs, but Ren's sure that he's savoring his victory. He always has to be number one. Asano doesn't seem to be particularly thrilled about any of the chocolate he's received, though. After all, the blond keeps insisting he's not interested in a relationship yet. But still...

"Hey, so did Shiota-san give chocolate to you?" he asks, lowering his voice so that none of their classmates can hear their conversation. He hasn't asked Asano about Shiota for a while now, so it's time to start asking again. Maybe, just maybe, Asano will open up a little bit.

The Chairman's son lets out an annoyed sigh. "Again with her?"

"So did she?" Ren insists, grinning widely.

Asano sighs again. "No, Ren, she didn't." Is it him, or is that a bit of disappointment in Asano's voice...?

"And does it bother you...?"

"No. I don't care. As I said, I'm not interested in her. I don't even know her. I don't understand why you keep asking about my nonexistent feelings for her."

"Well, she's like the only girl who has had your interest for at least a little while without any conversation between you or something you can gain from her," Ren shrugs, but continues talking before Asano can comment. "I think she probably gave chocolate to Akabane-kun. That's the safest bet since she seems to be so close to him."

Maybe mentioning Akabane will make Asano open up a little? After all, Akabane is a rival. He feels like he's playing with fire here, but he knows Asano has more patience for him. Is he had been anyone else, they wouldn't even be having this conversation. All he wants is for Asano to talk about his feelings, at least a little. Even if he doesn't have any romantic feelings for Shiota in particular, as he keeps insisting, he has to at least _feel_ something; he's not numb.

"Well, good for her."

Ren can hear the finality in Asano's voice, and he sighs in disappointment. Well, guess he will have to try again another time. As he changes topics and they begin to talk about politics, Ren can't help but hope that someday Asano will open up to him; even if it's just a little.

* * *

"I am convinced that Shiota-chan and Akabane will end up together before Junior High ends. Just watch it happen," Hiroto insists. He and his best friend are walking back home from school, both holding the chocolates they were given. And while Hiroto's mind has been swirling with so many potential dates he could get, he can't kick the idea of Akabane and Shiota liking each other out of his head. He always kind of suspected it, but Shiota giving chocolate to Akabane confirms it, at least to him.

"Don't jump into conclusions, Hiroto. Shiota-san might've given Akabane chocolate simply out of formality. It doesn't mean there are any feelings there," Yuuma says, sighing.

Hiroto's convinced though. He's seen them together, and he has experience; he _knows_ a potential couple when he sees one. "Oh, come on! You just have to _look_ at them to know! Maybe they won't get together _now_ , but as I said, I am convinced they will before we graduate. I'm sure of it!"

"Who would've thought you'd be such a shipper, Hiroto," Yuuma shakes his head, laughing, and Hiroto turns a bit red.

"I'm not a shipper! I just know a couple when I see one!" he insists, a bit indignantly. Yuuma continues laughing though. "We'll see who gets the last laugh when Akabane and Shiota-chan end up dating!"

Yuuma just keeps laughing. "You never change," he comments, shaking his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Hiroto is a shipper. And yes, Ren kind of is, too. He's also a good friend.
> 
> Also, we're gonna start with second year soon, if everything goes according to plan. Guess who will finally meet~ 
> 
> Remember, if you have a suggestion whatsoever, lemme know! :)
> 
> Until next time!


	6. Akabane Karma, Maehara Hiroto & Shiota Nagisa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After three weeks of hellish exams I am finally back with a new chapter! This is the chapter in which their first year officially ends! Whoop whoop!
> 
> By the way, I published another story, _Lounge Act_ , that takes place in the same universe as this one. Remember Yuuji? Yeah, well, it's about him falling in love with Nagisa only to eventually find out she's dating Karma. Spoilers, though, I guess—since, you know, that story takes place when they're on their third year and yet here we're only starting the second one next chapter. XD 
> 
> I guess it's kind of a preview about Nagisa and Karma's relationship. You'll see in this story how they get to where they're at in _Lounge Act_. :) Of course, you don't have to read it, but I would appreciate it if you did. :3
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

It's when they're about to finish their first year when he feels _it_.

He and Nagisa decided to go to a fast food restaurant after school. Holding their food, Karma begins to walk around, trying to find his blue-haired friend who is supposed to find them a table. "Where did she run off to…? Oi, Nagis—!"

All of a sudden, he feels like a blade went right through him. His instincts go haywire—he's danger; he feels the need to fight, run, _get the hell away_ —but when he turns around he only sees little Nagisa smiling up at him like she usually does.

"I'm right here, Karma-kun," she says, not realizing his fear. "Didn't you see me?"

_What… the hell?_

Karma gives her a small smile, trying to hide the fact his heart is beating so loud he can barely hear himself _think_. "Sorry 'bout that, Nagisa-chan. It's just that you're so small!" His voice doesn't waver somehow, and he doesn't sound out of breath, even though he feels like the air was forced out of his lungs a moment ago.

_I don't… understand. What I just felt…_

Nagisa pouts. "Yeah, yeah, so I'm small. You don't always have to tease me about that…"

Karma smirks a little. "Oh, come on, you know how I am."

_Did I… imagine that? I can't seem to calm down. Is this… what being afraid is like?_

Nagisa laughs a little. "Yeah, that's true! Karma-kun always teases everyone!"

She's laughing, giving him a warm smile that a couple of minutes ago would've comforted him. But now… it only unsettles him. Even though he doesn't think Nagisa's weak, he's never thought of her as a threat—on the contrary, she's someone he can drop his guard with—but when she poked him, just know, he felt… he felt like he was about to be _killed_.

It's like a _mysterious something_ is inside her. Something that could kill him in his sleep. Something that he wants to drag out and destroy, just to be safe. But that would mean, he would have to _hurt_ her. He doesn't want to do that. He's terrified, but he still cares for Nagisa, the first person he allowed himself to trust in a long time. But if he can't hurt her…

"Karma-kun? Are you okay? You seem… kind of distracted right now." Nagisa's looking at him worriedly, and somehow knowing that makes him feel bad, despite his fear.

_Why am I feeling like this?_

"What, me? Nah, I'm totally fine, Nagisa-chan! I was just thinking about a strategy for this new game I bought." The lie slips easily past his lips. It's never been an issue for him to lie. "See, it's harder than I thought it would be, so I have to think how I'll be able to beat it."

_Maybe I should keep away for a while… Spring break's coming soon, right?_ _I'll think things through then._

* * *

"No more school!" Hiroto cheers. "Now that there's no more homework or whatever, I can date girls without any distractions!"

"Your priorities are really bad, Hiroto," Yuuma let out a laugh.

"Huh?" Hiroto turns to his best friend indignantly. "They're not! It's spring break, so I don't have to think about school anymore. So my priorities are bound to change from regular school year!"

"Speaking of school years, you should try to study more this second year. You know what happens when kids in our school have bad grades…"

"Ah, the E Class, right?" Hiroto nods. He's thought about it a little, but he isn't too worried. There's a whole year left for him to better his grades. He can do that, no sweat. "Don't worry about it, though, Yuuma! I know my grades aren't the best, but I'm sure I can save my ass! I'll just worry about it when the time comes, okay?"

* * *

"Birthday party?" Nagisa asks into the phone.

"Yes!" Yamamoto Misao exclaims from the other line. "I know you don't hang with us as much anymore, but you're still a good friend! So I wanted to invite Nagisa-chan, too!"

"That's really nice of you, Misao. And who else would be coming? Seiko?"

Akechi Seiko is Misao's best friend; they had known each other pretty much ever since they could crawl. Before she became friends with Karma, Nagisa hanged out with Misao and Seiko. They were always nice to her, and even after she befriended Karma, they still talked to her. Even now, they consider her a good friend. Nagisa's glad about that, because she does appreciate both girls and their friendship.

"Of course!" Misao exclaims happily. "Tanaka-kun and Takada-kun are invited as well, because they're friends, too."

"Oh, really? That's nice, I guess," Nagisa doesn't have any issue in particular with Tanaka Nobuta and Takada Chousuke. If anything, she admires their close friendship. They're good friends with Seiko and Misao, and that made them friends of Nagisa for a while. But after she began to hang out with Karma, they seemed to have an issue with her. Probably because she's friend with the guy they fear the most.

"Yeah. Oh, and don't worry about them saying stuff about your friendship with Akabane-kun! I honestly think they're just jealous, you know? Since Akabane-kun is _so_ much cooler than them! By the way, how is he?"

"Well… He's good, I think. I haven't seen him since spring break started," she admits, sighing. She tried to hang out with him, but he told her he was busy and for that reason he couldn't hang out. "He says he's busy." She tries not to think too much into it, but her low self-esteem has her worried: what if he's already bored of her? Is he avoiding her? She doesn't want to think like this, but she just can't help it.

_After all, why would a cool guy like Karma-kun want to hang out with such a bore like me?_

"Well, I'm sure he's doing okay. You'll be able to see him when we go back at school, anyway!"

Nagisa smiles a little. "Yeah… So, Misao, this birthday party is when we go back to school, yes?"

"Yup! Since it's at the beginning of the school year, we won't have too much stuff to do, and a celebration will help us all relax."

"Yes, that's true. I'll see you guys when we go back to school, then, yeah?"

"That's right! Talk to you later, then, Nagisa-chan!"

"Bye," Nagisa says softly, sighing. _Well, a new school year, a new start, I guess…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I thought something while reading this manga is that Hiroto should be more appreciated. XD
> 
> Also, I figured those two bullies that always bother Nagisa in the manga/anime, Tanaka and Takada, were actually former friends of his. After all, Nagisa probably had more friends other than Karma. So, I wanted to work with that in this story. 
> 
> Next chapter we're surely starting second year! What will happen to Nagisa and Karma's relationship now that Karma's felt Nagisa's bloodlust? The same in the anime/manga, or does this author have other plans? (I feel the answer's kinda obvious but whatever). 
> 
> Oh, and we're seeing Gakushuu next chapter. 
> 
> As always, thanks for reading, please leave a review! :)
> 
> Until next time!


	7. Asano Gakushuu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so next chapter is here! Whoop! And guess who finally get to meet~ 
> 
> This is a bit shorter than the other chapters, I think, but hopefully you'll enjoy it either way!

It's a couple of days after they start their second year of junior high that the English teacher asks Gakushuu to go get a couple of worksheets at the school's photocopier. Since he's the role model student, of course he accepts and goes himself. After all, the photocopier room is not too far from Class 2-A, and the man who runs it is pretty competent and cheerful. It's not too much of a hassle; it's better than having to deal with morons that have no idea how to do anything, anyway.

It takes him about five minutes to get to the photocopier, and when he enters the room, he's surprised to see a blue-haired girl standing there. He recognizes her instantly. After all, he's had to put up with Ren talking about her every once in a while.

_Shiota Nagisa._

"Ah, Asano-kun!" The man in charge of the photocopier smiles at him. "I'm sorry to say, but this thing's been having a couple of issues lately. It shouldn't take long to fix, so why don't you wait with Shiota-san?"

_Of course._

"Hello, Shiota-san," Gakushuu greets. It's funny how, even though Ren teases him a lot with her, this is literally the first time he's ever talked to her. "Were you asked to get some worksheets too?"

"A-Asano-kun…" Shiota smiles shyly. "Yeah. It seems the English department wasn't able to print all worksheets in time, or something…"

"A shame, really. One would think that they would have all the required material prepared for a decent class."

"W-Well, they can't do much if the printer doesn't work!" she laughs a little, and it's still a little shy, but he can tell it's genuine.

"That is true, yes," Gakushuu admits, smiling a little himself.

They don't really talk after that, waiting quietly for the photocopier to be fixed. The sooner they can get the guide, the better. He doesn't know what D Class is doing in their English classes exactly, but he does know that the A Class can't afford to lose time—not since their lessons are harder than the other three classes'. But unfortunately, things don't seem to go his way; the man frowns, looking at the photocopier with a look of annoyance—his cheerfulness seems to have left as he sighs and looks at the two students that are still waiting for the photocopier to work.

"Well, it seems it'll be harder to fix that I originally thought," he says exasperatedly, but still managing to smile at them. "You'll have to go to the computer room if you want to get those English worksheets quickly. Don't worry, I'll send them the e-mail with the worksheet, so you'll only have to wait for it to be printed. I'm sorry for the trouble, though."

Gakushuu forces a smile, and it seems nice a genuine, even though he's actually pretty annoyed. The computer room is in the _other_ side of the school. _It certainly is troublesome…_ "Ah, don't worry about it. Thank you for your help, anyway." _Even though you didn't even help._ He turns to the blue-haired girl that is standing back. She hasn't said anything, but he can tell by her eyes; she's observing. "Are you coming too, Shiota-san?"

Observing or not, Shiota seems startled. "A-Ah, yes," she says shyly. She thanks the man in charge of the photocopier as well and soon they are walking to the other side of the school.

There's something about Shiota that strikes to Gakushuu, and that's the fact that she's not making any effort to talk to him whatsoever. Usually, everyone tries to at least have a small conversation with him—well, not _everyone_ , of course, but it's those exceptions that he finds… well, _refreshing_ , in a way. It could be shyness that is holding Shiota back, but she doesn't seem flustered or nervous around him either.

_Perhaps—since she's able to be close to someone like Akabane—she's not easily intimidated._

"I should ask for better maintenance of the photocopier to the student council. It's not the first time I've heard of such issues," Gakushuu says aloud. For whatever reason, he feels like talking. Maybe since Ren talks too much about her; he feels like he should at least know her a little.

Shiota blinks. "I didn't know it had issues before," she says, but then she shrugs. "But I think they'll listen to you anyway, Asano-kun."

Gakushuu smirks. "What makes you think that?"

Shiota smiles a little. "Call it a hunch, I guess. You're the second year representative, so they might take your opinion more seriously." Gakushuu can tell that there's unsaid words there; it's not the fact that he's the second year representative, it's the fact that it's _him_ and he knows how to get people's approval. Even though they've never met before, Shiota could tell. _Impressive._ "Are you aiming for being president next year?"

_Right, once again._ Gakushuu was honestly a bit impressed. "I am thinking about it, yes," he says, going for the humble route. He's waited to get to third year so he could be the student council president since the very first day, but he doesn't have to tell that to her.

Shiota nods. "Figures. I think you'd be more capable than the current president."

"That's not too hard," Gakushuu comments lightly. Personally, he thinks the current student council is a train wreck; there's only a few capable people there. He doesn't even know how the president is surviving and not dead of a heart failure provoked by fear of having to face the Chairman to give him reports every once in a while.

Instead of calling him arrogant or mean, Shiota lets out a quiet, genuine laugh, and Gakushuu finds himself smiling at that.

_Yes, Ren definitely talks too much about her. And he does have a way with words,_ he muses as they continue talking about nonsense as they walk, but even then, he finds himself thinking that honestly, he wouldn't mind having a conversation with her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to make this as realistic as possible. XD I mean, there are over 180 students in their year, and Nagisa and Gakushuu have different social circles. So I just had to create a situation in which they could meet, and this was born. And it's just the start~ 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, and please leave a review! :) You can expect more Ren and Karma next, so hopefully you can look forward to that! 
> 
> Until next time!


	8. Sakakibara Ren & Akabane Karma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, sorry, for the wait! Was a bit of a hassle putting my ideas together. But hey, I've managed to write something~ Hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

"Ren, can you stop looking at me like that? It's not such a big deal."

The tall boy lets out a laugh. They're in his room, since they'd come to the boy's house to finish a project in pairs they have to do. They're already done, but Ren somehow managed to get Asano to stay. "Not a big deal? Asano-kun, don't you get it?" He nudges the shorter boy with a grin in his face. "This is progress!"

"What, the fact that we've talked to each other for the first time out of the sole reason that we were both tasked to get English worksheets?"

"Yes!"

"That is foolish, Ren. This conversation is foolish. That is not 'progress', as you say, because there is no objective."

"What do you mean, there's no objective? Of course there is!"

"You mean, _you_ have an objective," Asano sighs in exasperation. "Because for whatever reason you're set on getting me to date a girl I know nothing about—"

"That has had your interest for way longer any other girl has."

"—and I just happened to talk to for the first time this morning," Asano finishes dully, as if he hadn't listened to Ren speak at all. "Give it up, Ren. It's not going to happen."

"Ah, come on, Asano-kun! Don't be like that," Ren says. "I know you're really serious and all, but try and lighten up a little. Perhaps dating could be good for you." It'd be good for Asano to open up to someone. Even if it's not him, Ren wants him to at least talk to somebody. Perhaps he'd tell his lover if he _had_ one…

"I've told you already, I am not interested. And even if I was, I don't think Shiota would be a prospect for me to date."

"Hey, who knows," Ren shrugs. "I know she doesn't have the best grades or our status, but there's got to be a reason Akabane-kun likes her, eh? I mean, since he's always hangs out with her and all."

"You know, the fact someone as troublesome as Akabane likes her shouldn't be considered a good thing, exactly."

"Hey, I know Akabane-kun's dangerous, but he's smart too, right?" Ren's never talked to Akabane, but though he'll never admit it aloud, he does feel intimidated by the redhead. He can tell he's dangerous and the rumors make him no justice either. But he does admire his intellect—violent or not, he's extremely smart and worthy to be an academic rival. He could be in A Class if he wanted to. "Shiota isn't the best academically, but she can keep up with him."

Asano just shrugs, seemingly unfazed by what Ren's saying. "Perhaps, but Akabane and I are different people, and our perception of Shiota is different. There is no point to this, so let's drop it," he says, a tone of finality in his voice.

Ren shrugs and smiles easily. "If you say so, Asano-kun."

* * *

Karma's having a crisis.

He spent the entire week of spring break trying to figure out what to do and he got nothing. Weeks later and he _still_ got nothing. He's acting like he always does with Nagisa—at least, trying to—but he seems to be failing. Nagisa's the most observant person he knows; of course she's picked up something. And he _is_ inviting her to hang out less and less. But he honestly has no idea what to do. For once in his life, he's genuinely stumped.

He thinks he should just pull away from her. That's the easiest thing. At least until he figures his head. But he doesn't really… want to. He genuinely likes Nagisa. He doesn't want to lose her.

But he's afraid.

He doesn't know what to do.

So when he sees her one morning, he acts as he always does—his mischievous self with his teasing smiles and jokes—doing his best to hide the fear he still feels, when he suddenly notices the bruises on her wrist and pauses.

_Bruises…_

Those bruises are caused by someone who squeezed her wrist too tightly.

"Nagisa-chan, what happened to your wrist?" he asks, his voice serious, the fear that's been accompanying him ever since that day at the fast food restaurant disappearing and instead replaced by concern and anger.

_Who dared to hurt her?_

"K-Karma-kun," Nagisa seems startled, and nervous as well, as she quickly covers her wrist and glances to the side, avoiding his gaze. "N-Nothing! I just… I was clumsy and I hit myself w-with a door."

That's a lie. He can tell. Without a word, he grabs her uninjured wrist gently and drags her out of the classroom, away from their nosy classmates. Nagisa's startled, but she follows him anyway as he takes her to a more secluded place.

"Karma-kun…? Hey, why did you bring me here? We have to go to class!"

"Nagisa-chan, those aren't the kind of bruises you'd get by hitting yourself with a door," Karma says bluntly, watching as she bit her lip in nervousness. "Someone did it." It angers him to know someone was able to hurt her. He wants to hurt whoever did it tenfold. But he needs to know who it is first. "So, who was it?"

"N-No-one!" Nagisa yelps.

Karma frowns. It's clear as day to him that she's been hurt. Why is she defending whoever's at fault of this?

"Nagisa-chan… don't lie to me. You can tell me."

"…I I c-can't…"

"Why?"

"B-Because… you'll hate me!" Nagisa says, clearly troubled.

Karma did not expect that outburst, and he's shocked as he looks at the shorter girl standing in front of him. He frowns. Why would he hate her? If anything, he'll hate the person who hurt her, but not her! He doesn't think it's possible for him to genuinely hate her, anyway.

"I'm pretty sure I won't," he assures. "I don't think it's actually possible for me to hate you." He only receives silence as his reply and he sighs. "Nagisa-chan, I won't look down on you or anything. I just want to be able to help you. Someone's hurt you. It's obvious judging by those bruises. I can't help if I don't know what happened. Come on…" he drops his voice, speaking in the sincerest tone he can master. "I won't tell anyone. Can you tell me… please?"

Nagisa seems surprised that he said please, but even then, she won't talk. Just when Karma is thinking that she won't talk—since Nagisa is really stubborn and she won't say anything if she doesn't want to—she lets out a shaky, deep breath.

And tells him everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, cliffhanger, kind of. XD This is gonna be a huge milestone for Karma and Nagisa's relationship. Karma's reaction to what Nagisa tells him is coming next chapter and, well, he won't be too happy with a certain person. (We all know who I'm talking about, yes?) 
> 
> Aaaaaaand Ren, my shipper! He really wants Gakushuu to open up, but unfortunately, the guy's just too guarded for his own good (although with the Chairman as his father, I can't really blame him…).
> 
> Hope you liked this chapter! Hopefully the next won't take as long! Until next time! :)


	9. Shiota Nagisa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helloooo! Here is the new chapter! I actually had most of this written pretty soon after the last update, but the last 400 words were murder. I couldn't get what I wanted completely right. But I think it's pretty good now, so here we go!

"My mother did this."

Nagisa has no idea why she opened her mouth to speak. She's never wanted anyone to know about her mother—she's never wanted to burden anyone when she could have it much worse; in her mind, it just isn't worth mentioning—and she doesn't like to admit that her mother controls her life; not even to herself. Who would like someone who can't even stand up to her own mother? It's not like she gets beaten up or anything, but she just gets so scared when her mother gets angry and has this dark look in her eye and starts screaming. She can't help it.

It's just terrifying.

And even if her mother controls her, forces her to be girly and try on dresses and hairstyles and make-up that Nagisa doesn't really like, she's still her mother and she loves her. Her mom wasn't always like that; while she was always controlling, she got worse when her dad left them. But it was her who decided to stay with Hiromi instead of leaving with her father, because she was worried about her mother. Because she knows that despite Hiromi's controlling nature, hurtful words, and strictness, she loves her and would be completely destroyed if Nagisa were to leave her too.

Even though she made it hard to believe, sometimes.

Still, she never expected to tell anyone, including Karma. Why is she, though? Perhaps because she knows that, if Karma wants an answer, he'll stop at nothing to get it? Perhaps it is because he seems worried? He seemed to be growing distant and Nagisa had not known what to do about it, but seeing him so worried about her made her heart warm.

To be honest with herself, she's probably telling him because he's the person she trusts the most.

"Your mother…?"

Karma looks taken off guard, like he never expected it. He probably didn't; after all, Nagisa had not told him anything about her mother, until now. But he's starting to look furious, and Nagisa's starting to feel guilty—why is she feeling guilty? Because she's speaking up against her mother, even though it's in private?—and she feels the need to clarify.

"She didn't mean to!" Well, she doesn't know that, but she's choosing to believe that her mother was too caught up in her rage to notice what she was doing. "We'd gotten to a disagreement because she wanted me to try on this dress I really didn't like, and she got angry and accidentally grabbed my wrist too tightly. That's all!"

"…And she did those bruises," he points to her wrist, a look of disbelief on his face, "simply because of a fucking _dress_?"

Nagisa flinches a little. When he puts it that way... "Y-Yes, well… Her parents made her study and didn't allow her to dress up and all that, and she wants me to have the opportunity to do what she couldn't. You know, dress up, use make-up, be lady-like, get into the university she couldn't go to… She thinks it's the best for me, but… She just—she doesn't want to understand that it's not... what I want…" Her voice sounds flat, defeated, and her eyes are dull. She hates how her mother makes her feel like this. She wonders if her mother realizes it. Honestly, Nagisa thinks she's too caught up on what she wants to notice. "I don't mind, really. I'll be okay as long as I do what she says."

"Nagisa-chan, that is not okay." Nagisa looks up in surprise to see Karma, the fiery look he has in his eye. "She's living through you… She's forcing you to be her—to be what she wanted to be. That's fucked up." Silence reign over them for a while, until he speaks up again. "Other than those bruises… does she hurt you?"

"No! I mean… when she's too angry, she grabs my hair sometimes or slaps me—but that's as far as she's ever gone, I swear! She's never beaten me up or anything! She does say hurtful things sometimes, but that's her anger speaking. It's not that bad, honestly. It could be worse."

"…Why are you defending her?"

"H-Huh?" _Why am I defending her?_ Perhaps the answer is too simple, but it works for her. "Because she's my mother! I love her. I know she can be bad, but she's never done anything to seriously hurt me! That last time was my fault, anyway. I shouldn't have defied her since I knew how she could get…"

"It wasn't your fault!" Karma says fiercely, the passionate look in his eyes startling Nagisa. "Don't you dare say you're at fault, Nagisa-chan. You shouldn't think that."

"But it is…"

"It's not! She has no right to treat you that way and hurt you just because you refused to try on a fucking dress! You're not her; she has to accept that!"

"I-I know," Nagisa says quietly. "But it's not as bad as it seems! She's high-strung, but she's just doing what she thinks it's best for me. She mostly just makes me wear the clothes she gets for me, and that's pretty much it. And I do get to be myself… When I'm with you…" Her cheeks turn red from embarrassment. Why is she even blushing again? But she feels the need to thank Karma, for being there, even if he hadn't known until now how much his friendship had helped her. "Y-You've… helped me more than you could ever imagine, just by being my friend. So thank you, Karma-kun." Nagisa smiles the biggest, most genuine smile she can muster. "And don't worry about me. I'm fine, honest!"

There's silence, and then… "Nagisa?"

"E-Eh?!" Nagisa turns a bit red, her eyes widening in shock. This is the first time Karma has ever talked to her with no honorifics— _ever_.

"You don't ever have to fake around me," Karma says, his eyes serious—no mischievousness or mocking in them. He really means what he's saying. "Your mother is a fucking basket case and she has no right to force you to be someone you're not. _You_ have the right to be yourself, no matter what she says."

"…I know, but…" Her voice grows smaller. She knows he's right—she does have the right to be herself. Why would her mother have the right to force her to be someone else? But it's her mother; the woman who raised her—she can't go against her that easily. She can't… she can't… It's her mom! She loves her…

Karma seems to notice her distress because his eyes soften before letting out a sigh. "…Nagisa," he says, "even if you don't get to be yourself at home, you can always be that with me. I want you to know that."

"I know," Nagisa says, sounding more confident in her answer. Because she does know that. She's always been herself around him; Karma's always accepted her. And she's glad that he seems to still accept her, even after finding out… She's just so glad to have him. "I know that, Karma-kun."

"Drop the '-kun'."

"E-Eh?!" Once again, Nagisa's taken off guard and her cheeks can't help but turn a bit red.

That seems to amuse the redhead, letting out a small laugh as he patted her head gently. The atmosphere around them suddenly light, and Nagisa's glad the tension's gone. She's been feeling like they've been drifting apart these last couple of weeks, and now it's like they're becoming close again. Actually, even closer than before.

It makes her happy.

"Drop the '-kun'. Just call me Karma," he smiles. "And also… Nagisa," his face turns serious again, "if you ever need to vent out and talk about… _this_ , just tell me, okay? I'll be there."

Nagisa nods, and her eyes suddenly sting. She closes them to prevent tears from coming. She honestly doesn't think she's ever been this _relieved_ in a long while.

"Okay, Karma."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand they've dropped the honorifics! Way before their time in canon, but who cares! XD 
> 
> You can expect my boy, Hiroto, in the next one~
> 
> Thank you for reading and until next time! :)


	10. Akabane Karma & Maehara Hiroto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am so sorry for the wait! Did not think I would take this long, honestly. XD
> 
> Random #fact: I've watched and read Boku no Hero Academia, and god damn, I'm obsessed. So fucking good. I don't think I've watched an anime and then read a manga so fast in my life. I regret nothing. It is that amazing. 
> 
> Second random #fact: I saw the Death Note Netflix movie. And… well. As a movie only, it's kind of decent. As something based on the original story, it fucking sucks. I think if it had been a what-if someone else had the Death Note instead of Light movie, it would have worked better. That's my opinion though. XD
> 
> Hope you like this chapter!

It's amazing how a conversation can change everything.

He can't help the feeling of pure, unadulterated _rage_ he feels whenever he thinks about it. To think that someone as sweet and nice as Nagisa has to put up with someone like that. That her own _mother_ , someone that's supposed to accept her and love her for who he is, _forces_ her to be someone else—the person _she_ didn't get to be—it infuriates him.

He's been over to Nagisa's house a couple of times and he's seen her mother. He thought she seemed to be pretty strict but he hadn't expected…

Karma doesn't think he's ever hated anyone as much as he hates Nagisa's mother right now. He _despises_ her. Who the hell is she to dictate Nagisa's life?

Nagisa has the right to be herself.

Suddenly everything makes sense. That _mysterious something_ he felt back then… It probably was something Nagisa developed after living in constant fear of her mother. If he felt like he would be killed in his sleep after one little poke, then he can't imagine how Nagisa must feel, living with her controlling, overbearing mother every single day. She doesn't know when her mother will explode, does she? Living in uncertainty, making sure not to trigger the woman that's supposed to bring her love.

Living with the fear of being stabbed in your sleep—constantly.

That… that _bloodlust_ he felt, it was probably birthed out of Nagisa's home life. A way to protect herself, so to speak. Her own weapon. But the thing is, she hasn't even _realized_ she has it. And if she does realize it, then what?

Karma doesn't think he's the target. At least, not anymore.

After all, weapons can be used for things other than killing. They can be used for protection.

 _"_ _And I do get to be myself… When I'm with you… Y-You've… helped me more than_ _you could ever imagine, just by being my friend. So thank you, Karma-kun."_

How the fuck can he keep his distance after hearing that?

It's this conversation that makes him think that perhaps he's handling Nagisa's _mysterious something_ —her _bloodlust_ —wrong. She doesn't seem dangerous. Turns out she is. So what? He's dangerous, too. And unlike Nagisa's case, _everyone_ knows he is. He knows it, she knows it. And even then, she continued to be his friend. Even though she knows how violent and sadistic he actually is—she's seen it, more than once—she's never been afraid of him.

She's still his friend.

Karma thinks, thinks, thinks—what is the best decision he can take, knowing this, knowing Nagisa's situation, knowing just how much his friendship helped her—and comes to a conclusion. He won't pretend his relationship with her isn't dear to him. It is. And he's not willing to pull away—especially not after Nagisa confided in him, trusted him, when she openly admitted that he helped, even though he didn't know, he _helped_ her, and he can't bear to think about how Nagisa would be if he suddenly cut ties with her. Who would she be herself with? How would she feel? How would he feel? Nagisa—sweet Nagisa—has a low self-esteem and he's always known this. He wasn't exactly sure why—to him, she was a great person and should have more confidence in herself. He'd never been sure why she was like this; he assumed her low-esteem was due to her shyness, or perhaps because she worries too much about what others may think sometimes.

Now it is all clear. Why she has such low confidence and love for herself. It's because of her mother, and it infuriates Karma to no end. In his mind, Nagisa is such a cool person. How can someone say otherwise? How can someone make her _believe_ otherwise?

He can't, he can't—

It disgusts him that he even considered distancing himself from Nagisa just because he's afraid, without a single thought at what she would feel. Because honestly, Karma has no issue to be the one to show Nagisa just how much she is really worth. In fact, he wants to do it. He wants to _help_ her.

Now, he thinks of Nagisa's bloodlust, and oddly, he's not afraid anymore. He's not the target, just like she isn't his target. They're just two students that perhaps are too dangerous for their own god damn good but who cares. They can be dangerous together. They can stand in the same stage—know they have someone they can trust and won't stab them when their back is turned. It's them against the world.

He feels closer to her. Telling her to drop the honorifics was kind of a spur in the moment, but now he thinks it symbolizes this new step in their relationship. A part of Karma is hesitant to open up but he's willing to try. After all, Nagisa's his best friend, and now he's willing to be even closer to her than they were before. No more walls. No more fear. Somehow, he knows he won't regret this.

 _I'll keep being her friend,_ Karma decides resolutely. _I'm going to be there whenever she needs me, because I know she would do the same._

* * *

Hiroto is walking by the hallway when he happens to hear Shiota and Akabane talking. It's no such a big deal—they're talking about this American superhero movie. Or, well, it wouldn't be a big deal, if he hadn't noticed that Akabane and Shiota dropped the honorifics.

So, of course, he celebrates internally as he's been witness of the clear _progress_ between those two as he goes to look for Yuuma. When he finds him talking to Oshiro. He joins their conversation pretty easily, and once he finds an opening he's quick to stir Yuuma away to tell him about the progress in the Akabane/Shiota relationship.

By the time he finishes talking, Yuuma's looking at him exasperatedly. "Hiroto," he sighs, shaking his head. _He looks like a parent,_ Hiroto thinks to himself. After all, Yuuma has to take care of his younger siblings, so it makes sense that he's adopted a 'fatherly kind of' attitude sometimes. Although he did have that attitude since they were little and—oh, Yuuma's talking. Better pay attention. "That is none of our business. Why are you so interested in Akabane and Shiota's relationship anyway? Is this because Hagakure-san dumped you the other day and you still want to see romance or whatever?"

"What?!" Hiroto splutters indignantly. "N-No! You know perfectly well that I've been interested way before Hagakure even happened since I know those two will end up together eventually!"

Yuuma lets out a laugh. To be honest, Hiroto likes that he can have conversations like this with Yuuma. As stupid as they may seem, they mean a lot to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so Nagisa and Karma's relationship definitely is diverging from their canon one. Yay! :3 
> 
> I don't think I originally planned for Hiroto to be such a Karmagisa shipper? Idk, it just kind of happened? Either way, I love him. XD 
> 
> I actually… am not quite sure how to continue this? I mean, I have ideas, but I need to figure out how to put them together. I'll manage to, though! *positive attitude!*
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. :)


	11. Asano Gakushuu & Sakakibara Ren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, guess who's back! Damn, I did not think I would take so long to update, but I was busy with my studies, and when I was finally a free person, I… forgot most of the plans I had for this story. Which is shit, since I am convinced I wrote them down, and yet I couldn't find them!
> 
> Luckily, I was recently able to remember and piece together where I was going, and here we are! Hope you like this chapter! Now it's time for the Class A boys to shine!

Gakushuu's been trying to figure out a mystery. Or, actually, not a mystery, but an issue. Not an issue involving  _him_ , per se, but a mystery involving one of his classmates.

Koyama Natsuhiko.

Originally he wasn't part of Class A, but during first year, he managed to prove he belongs there by making it into the Top 10—into the Top 5, even—more than once. He's transferred to Class A for this year, and he's managed to keep up with them. In fact, he's proving to be one of the top of their class.

His personality, however, doesn't really show that.

Gakushuu's actually intrigued by that. This guy is clearly a chosen one. He has the grade to look down on almost everyone with confidence, and yet he doesn't. He's meek and he seems to cower from other. The second year best student has heard the school bully Terasaka Ryouma (whose grades were and still are abysmal and there is no doubt he will be transferred to Class E for their third year unless he manages to get his act together—which is very questionable and probably won't ever happen) used to try to bully him, and Koyama was quietly waiting for him to fall to E Class so he could look down on him.

The question Gakushuu has is… why wait for that, when he could do that just now?

It seems Koyama just hasn't realized his worth yet, and as someone who is aiming to be school council president next year, Gakushuu has to help his classmates any way he can.

So he goes up to him one day, figuring perhaps a talk might help Koyama and his confidence. Their class is empty now, since everyone else left for lunch. "Koyama-kun?"

Koyama almost jumps in his seat. He looks amazed to be approached by Gakushuu, like as if that's an honor he never thought he would have. "Y-Yes, Asano-kun?"

"Can I talk to you about something?"

"…S-Sure."

"I was just wondering," Gakushuu says conversationally, giving his most charming smile. He doesn't want to scare Koyama off. "You have brilliant grades, and you're clearly one of the best, even in our class. That is a fact nobody can deny."

"Well… I suppose, yes."

"You clearly are one of the strong. But I couldn't help but notice you seem unsure of yourself and lacking confidence despite this. Why is that?"

"Why is…" Koyama takes a deep breath. He looks uncomfortable, but he still talks without Gakushuu prompting him to. Gakushuu's wondering if he's kept this inside all this time, and only now is he saying it out loud. Perhaps he's the first person who's ever seemed interested about Koyama's life at all, which prompted him to talk. "Well… I guess… I guess middle school hasn't been very pleasant to me, so… I don't know." A shrug. "When you're looked down a lot for being weak, you end up accepting that as a fact."

Gakushuu blinks. He's never been looked down for being weak, so he can't understand. But it appalls him that one of the strong has been looked down as weak. Koyama let it happen, that's true, but it's something it can be solved. Confidence is something that can be gained.

"I can't agree with that sentiment. I don't believe you are weak at all, or someone that should be looked down for that matter."

Koyama looks so hopeful. It's like no-one ever told him he was strong. Perhaps no-one ever did. "Do you really think that?"

"I do," Gakushuu nods. In this school, grades mean strength. And Koyama is indeed strong. "In fact, let me give you a piece of advice." Koyama nods, so he continues. "With your strength, you should more boldly look down on others."

* * *

Whatever advice Asano gave to Koyama, it worked wonderfully. Ren eats his food quietly as he looks at the student who has now decided he's worthy enough to join him and Asano at their lunch table. Not that he minds—oh, no; the more, the merrier. It's just amazing how much Koyama changed since that conversation he had with Asano a couple of weeks ago.

And yes, he does know about that conversation. Asano had told him he'd join him at lunch a little later since he wanted to talk to Koyama. He's not quite sure  _what_ Asano said to him, but whatever it was, it brought forth an ego no-one had expected Koyama to have.

Asano does have a way with words, indeed. And him, someone who is a fan of literature and the Japanese language in general, does appreciate something like this.

It's clear that Koyama, despite his newfound confidence, now feels like he's indebted to Asano for helping him. Ren wonders if that's what Asano had been aiming for. He usually doesn't do things out of the goodness of his heart. There's always something to gain, like for example, people's support. Asano does want to be school council president next year. It would make sense.

There is a chance, however, that Asano actually does have a heart somewhere and, noticing Koyama's lacking confidence, he decided to help a classmate out. Although he always helps their classmates out. Although if it's for the goodness of his heart or to gain support, he can't tell for sure.

Perhaps it's probably both.

Ren's hopes he'll get to know the answer someday. Surely, Asano will open up and be genuine instead of having this perfect mask all of the time. Or, at least, that what he would like. Yes, he has seen more sides of Asano than any other student has ever have, but he still thinks his friends need to open up some more. The amount of pressure he must have—so many expectations, so many responsibilities—is astounding, and it's amazing that Asano hasn't crumbled under it. Knowing him, though, he probably won't.

_But all in due time,_  Ren thinks. For now, he'll keep giving Asano the support a friend would give. As for Koyama, while he isn't exactly in Ren's list of favorite people—at least, not yet—he's going to accept him with a smile. After all, it seems like Asano has already accepted him into their circle.

And even though there are times he and Koyama can't seem to agree—a poet who is all about literature and imagination versus a scientist who is all about facts and memorization—at the very least, they can talk about girls. Which is, honestly, a breath of fresh air, considering Asano—who is not interested in dating or romance—never really wants to participate in his girl talk and most of the time just listens to him ramble on and on about his dates.

Speaking of dates, he has a date on Sunday with Sato Aiko. What a wonderful time to be alive, indeed!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, the best thing about Asano's advice to Koyama is that is actually canon. According to the character book, Gakushuu literally told him, "With your strength, you should more boldly look down on others," and that's how Koyama built up the huge ass ego he's got in Assassination Classroom, and the reason he's so loyal to Asano. I… have no idea what the hell kind of advice is that, but other than that, it's nice to see Gakushuu help his peers.
> 
> For someone who sees most of his classmates as minions, he is a really good friend. XD
> 
> Thank you so much for the comments and the support! It makes me happy to know you guys actually like this story! :)
> 
> Until next time~


	12. Isogai Yuuma & Maehara Hiroto

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Ah, look, it's a new chapter—finally! XD

"You're gonna  _what_?!"

Yuuma flinches a little, but stands his ground. "I'm gonna start working during the summer, but I'll probably continue while we're back at school, too. There's this café I applied to, and the pay's pretty good, so…"

"But… isn't that…" Hiroto looks genuinely worried, glancing around as if there could be anyone of their school overhearing. There shouldn't be, since it's a Sunday and they're in a café far away from school, but Yuuma still appreciates his best friend's concern. "Isn't that against the school's policy? A  _stupid_  one, yeah, but a policy nonetheless. Wouldn't you get into a lot of shit if you're found out?"

"I would." Yuuma nods. He's thought about this for a long time. "I know that it's breaking the school rules, and I could get into a lot of trouble, but… the situation at home is getting worse. We're in a really tight spot, and we  _need_ the money. My siblings are too young, and Mom's health isn't the best, so... I figured I should work as well."

"No, I get that! I think it's super responsible of you, that you're worrying about your family like that. I support you, Yuuma! I'm just…" Hiroto pauses, sighs, "worried, about what could happen if you're found out. I heard that those who break rules are sent to…"

_Class 3-E._

The nightmare of all students who attend Kunugigaoka. The one class no-one wanted to end up in.

Being in Class E meant your life was over. You were sent off to a satellite campus in the middle of the mountain. Everyone looked down on you; you were seen as worthless. Getting out of there was incredibly hard as well. He's heard the E Class teacher was a nice, cheerful woman—that no-one really seemed to dislike—but she was a newbie and despite her good intentions, she couldn't really teach everything perfectly by herself. It was practically impossible to score Top 50 under those circumstances. Not to mention you needed the approval of your former teacher as well.

Usually, most of Class 3-E—if not all of it—was expelled by the end of the second semester.

"I know," Yuuma sighs. "I thought about that, too. But it's a risk that I gotta take. And anyway! It's not like I'll be working all school year. I start during summer break, and then it'll be just a month or two, until I make enough. So if everything goes well, I won't be found out at all!" he says cheerfully, trying to be as positive as possible. Law of attraction: positive thoughts bring positive experiences.

"Well, that's good!" Hiroto grins at him widely, seemingly less worried than before, and he's glad. He doesn't want Hiroto to worry too much over him. But he does notice the wobble of Hiroto's smile, and now he's getting worried about something else. After all, Hiroto being sent to Class E was something Yuuma has worried about ever since first year. But usually, whenever he mentions the possibility, Hiroto just smiles, says he'll take care of it, and changes the subject. Yuuma won't push. That doesn't mean he doesn't care. "So, when exactly do you start?"

Yuuma notices the change of topic, steering them away from the whole Class 3-E deal, but he doesn't comment on it. He knows Hiroto. Once he is ready, he'll talk. Besides, if the situation was that bad, he probably would have talked already. They are just finishing their first semester, after all. So he just continues the conversation.

* * *

Hiroto's getting worried.

He knows he's not the best student, but the end of term is just proof of how bad he's doing. His teacher has already warned him that he's gonna go straight into Class E unless he gets his shit together and start doing better during the second semester. And he's actually trying—harder than he was last year, anyway. But this year is so much harder than the last one.

And now Yuuma is gonna work, which is forbidden at their school. Yuuma's the last person Hiroto wants to end in the E Class. The Ikemen doesn't deserve going there since he's trying to help out his family, but in this school people are hardasses about rules. Unless you have good grades; then, maybe, you might get some leeway. And, yes, Yumma has those—he's a fantastic student—but he's no  _Class A_  student. He's no Akabane, he's no Asano. There's a chance that it won't be enough.

Hiroto just hopes for the best, really. He decides that he'll have all the fun he can possibly have during the summer, since in the second semester he's gonna bust ass trying to get himself marks decent enough so he won't be sent to the E Class. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan! He'll do that. If he's lucky, it'll work out. Hopefully.

He's aware he's not the smartest around, but he  _really_ doesn't want to go to the E Class. No-one does.

But, he'll leave that for the second semester. Right now, he'll enjoy his summer and will have no worries at all. If he's lucky, he'll score dates with hot girls. He'll play football. He'll hang out with Yuuma when he's not working. He's gonna take his mind off of all this E Class thing and worry about it when the time comes. After all, it's not like he's officially there just yet. He has time to turn this around and save himself. So it's okay. It'll all be okay. Yuuma won't get caught, and he'll get better grades; neither of them will be sent to Class E.

_Right?_

Hiroto buries that question and the anxiety that comes with it in the back of his mind, willing it to disappear. Maybe he should ask Ishikawa Satsuki out next time. She's pretty hot, and seems pretty fun. Hopefully she'll say yes!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine Class 3-E is the biggest nightmare of every student in Kunugigaoka, especially those who aren't doing so well. That's gotta be a lot of pressure.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next chapter! :)


	13. Sakakibara Ren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should be writing an essay right now, but… Well, whatever. Time for a new chapter, everyone! XD

"Shouldn't we get someone to play some other instrument? Like, say, a violin? Or another guitar? Or maybe percussion?"

Ren blinks as he considers what Araki has said. Soon after Koyama became their friend (well, Ren can't be too sure if Asano actually _thinks_ of him as such), they befriended (or established a connection with, or whatever Asano considers they did) Araki Teppei, the best in social studies of Class A.

Sure, they talked before. He and Araki actually conversed sometimes since first year, since they both have humanist minds, and they got along fairly well. But now Asano started to talk to the guy more constantly as well, and before he knew it, Araki had permanently joined their group. Not that Ren minds, of course. The more, the merrier! And he does get along better with Araki than Koyama, to be honest. They do have more in common.

But now that the end of terms are done with (with the four of them getting fantastic marks, as always) and summer is fast approaching, they were wondering; what should top students as themselves do during the break? And Ren suggested a band. There's a reason that he suggested that, and it's not only because his own love for music. It's because _Asano_ actually loves music, and is brilliant playing instruments. Surely, having a band is something his friend can enjoy doing.

So of course he agreed. Araki agreed easily enough as well, but Koyama needed more convincing. But now the four of them are sitting in an empty room, planning their roles for their new band. Asano for guitar, Ren for bass, Araki for drums, and Koyama for keyboard. To be honest, it hasn't even entered Ren's mind to add another instrument; at least, not until Araki brings it up.

"What for?" Apparently it hasn't entered Koyama's mind either. "We already got four different instruments. I'm sure we could make it work with what we have."

"We _could_ ," Asano nods, but he looks thoughtful. Seems like he's considering Araki's idea. "But it doesn't hurt to add one more instrument. It would broaden our possibilities sound-wise."

"Maybe it could be a girl!" Ren says cheerfully. "You know, someone with a pretty voice, so she can sing or something."

Asano turns to look at him. He looks serious, but Ren can see the amusement in his eyes, and the small smirk on his lips. "You're just looking for a chance to get yourself a date."

Ren grins. Asano knows him so well. "I might."

"But weren't you with, ah… Shiozaki-san? From Class C?" Araki wonders.

"I _was_ , but that's over with. So, I'm a free man once again! Ready to conquer the youthful hearts of other beautiful maidens~!"

Araki is just blinking, slowly, as if not believing him.

"Well, I suppose this is expected from the flirty poet," Koyama shrugs. But then he grins. "I can't say I'm against the idea of a girl joining us, though!"

"Of course you're not," Araki sighs.

"Well, I suppose we could get a girl to join us," Asano concedes, and Ren is just _so happy_ to hear that. Koyama is, too. " _But_ ," he continues, his voice taking on that 'boss' tone he has. It kind of similar to the Chairman's. Ren isn't sure if Asano would like being compared like that to his father or not, so he doesn't mention it. "That girl must be chosen because of her _musical abilities._ If she's pretty, but she's no good musically, then she won't be able to join. Okay?"

Ren and Koyama are too happy to care. "Okay!"

Araki turns to look at Asano. "So where will we find this girl?"

Asano hums. "I suppose we could go to the clubs that are related to music and see who could join us."

And that's how they end up going to the Concert Club—because it's full of girls that are good at music, so it's a win-win situation. Ren is the first to arrive, eager to see which girl will be the chosen one, but once he sees into the room and sees _one particular person_ , he grins and suddenly, his original plan of getting a date for himself is gone.

"Guys, I think I already know who should join us!" There's glee in his voice as he gestures towards the girl.

Asano takes one look, and sighs. " _Ren_." It sounds like a warning; an exasperated one, but a warning nonetheless.

One he's going to ignore, of course. They have had this conversation before, after all. And besides, this is a big chance to make more progress! He can't let this opportunity go to waste. "Ah, come on, Asano-kun. We should give her a chance. And besides, we already know she's gonna fit in, seeing as you've talked to her before—"

"That was _one time_."

"—and for what I could gather, you two got along pretty well. And that's important when having a band, right? Getting along?"

"I can't _believe_ you're starting with this again."

"You know I'm right though."

"Uh…" Poor Araki looks extremely confused. "What exactly is happening?"

"Nothing." _Wow, that was a fast reply, Asano-kun._ "It's just Ren with his usual illusions."

"I'm hurt, Asano-kun!" he says jokingly, putting a hand on his heart. "I just saw this girl that seems to get along well with Asano-kun—"

"We talked _once_. Once, and it was because we were both sent to fetch English worksheets."

"Still got along, though~" Ren sings. "And, seeing that she's in this club, she must be good at music, right?"

"That's assuming things," Araki says. "Might work, though. Who is it?"

"The blue-haired girl, sitting on the left corner."

" _Her_?" Koyama doesn't sound impressed at all. "She looks plain. Could probably pass off as a boy if she had shorter hair," he says dismissingly, taking hold of his glasses as if to see the girl in question better.

"I think she's cute," Ren frowns.

"Of course _you_ would. You're the kinda person that finds beauty in _everything_. The ugliest looking woman in the world could be standing right in front of you and you would still find her beautiful."

"But that's because every single woman out there _is_ beautiful!"

"Even so, we have to see whether she's good at music or not," Araki insists. "That's the whole point of this. The dating is only second."

"Then we should ask her!" Ren exclaims. He's pretty sure Asano let out another sigh, but he's going to ignore that. _You may not think like I am, but I'm doing this for you, Asano-kun!_

Koyama argues they should look for some other girl, while Ren is insistent that they should give her a chance. Araki listens to them bickering, reminding them once again that what they're looking for is musical talent, not prettiness. Asano doesn't comment, but he looks like he's kind of done. Maybe he _is._ But even so, Ren hopes the girl is actually good enough at music so they can make her join, because if not, there won't be any progress made at all.

By now, most of the club members have left, with her being one of the last ones to exit the classroom. Which is a good thing, actually. Ren likes attention, but he doesn't think they need an audience this time.

"Shiota-san!" He watches as she halts, turns around, and look at them in confusion, her blue eyes blinking. Her expression screams something along the lines of _who, me?_ She probably doesn't expect that a couple of the best students in the elitist A Class would talk to her out of the blue. Ren honestly thinks it's adorable—her reaction, that is.

"Um, yes?" she answers, slight trepidation in her tone. It's different from the usual excited answers he gets from girl when he talks to them. It's surprising that he finds it kind of endearing, considering how much he loves attention. _Maybe Asano-kun does, too._

He gives her his most charming smile, but she just blinks at him, waiting for his answer. "We have a proposition to give you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asano is so god damn talented, he and his minions—no, friends have their own band and apparently they're thinking about releasing CDs? 
> 
> The dude is an arrogant bastard but man, he can do anything. XD 
> 
> And all you people who wanted Nagisa & Gakushuu interaction better thank Sakakibara Ren for letting this happen. Ren is a good friend. Gakushuu probably wants to murder him, but he's a good friend. Yes. 
> 
> As always, thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Just to make clear; the POV are alternated, so that's why sometimes characters are called by their first name and then by their family name. It all depends on how characters refer to each other. For example, Karma calls Nagisa by her first name, but Gakushuu is gonna call her by her family name. Maehara calls Isogai by his first name, but Karma, Nagisa and Gakushuu call him by his last name. Etc. 
> 
> Thanks for reading and until next update! :)


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